What should a college personal statement include?

A college personal statement should include a reflection of your experiences, aspirations, challenges, and how they’ve shaped you. It should tell a story about who you are, show your values, and demonstrate your readiness for college.

What is a good example of a personal statement?

A good personal statement might tell a story about overcoming a significant challenge, such as moving to a new country or excelling in a difficult class, while illustrating personal growth, determination, and how that experience shaped the applicant's future aspirations.

How do you write a 500 word personal statement for college?

To write a concise 500-word personal statement, focus on a specific experience that showcases your personal qualities, explain how it impacted you, and connect it to your future academic and career goals. Use clear, straightforward language, and ensure each word adds value.

What does a bad personal statement look like?

A bad personal statement is often generic, lacking personal details or failing to demonstrate self-reflection. It may include clichés, overuse of formal language, or go off-topic without making meaningful connections to the applicant's personal or academic goals.

How do you write a killer personal statement?

To write a killer personal statement, start with a captivating hook, tell a compelling story, show genuine self-reflection, and connect your experiences to your future goals. Ensure your essay is well-organized, concise, and free of errors.

What topics should be avoided in a personal statement?

Avoid overly controversial topics like politics or religion unless they are deeply personal and relevant to your story. Also, steer clear of generalizations, clichés, or complaints about the application process or your current school.

How should I start my personal statement for college?

Start your personal statement with a strong, attention-grabbing hook. This could be a vivid memory, a thought-provoking question, or a statement that introduces the core theme of your essay in an engaging way.

What is an example of a personal statement for college?

An example of a personal statement might begin with a story about how volunteering at a local community center sparked the applicant's interest in social work, explaining how this experience shaped their academic interests and future goals.

How do I write a personal statement?

To write a personal statement, reflect on your experiences, focus on one or two key events that shaped who you are, and write in a clear, structured format. Show your growth and link your story to your academic and career goals.

What is the format of a personal statement?

A personal statement is typically formatted as an essay, with an introduction, body paragraphs that develop your story and key experiences, and a conclusion that ties everything together. The essay should be concise and well-organized.

What are the 3 parts of a personal statement?

The three parts of a personal statement are the introduction, which grabs the reader’s attention, the body, which provides examples of your experiences and achievements, and the conclusion, which ties your story to your future goals.

How should I layout my personal statement?

Layout your personal statement with a clear introduction, followed by body paragraphs that develop your story or experiences in a logical order, and a conclusion that summarizes your growth and connects your past to your future ambitions.

10 Tips on Crafting a Great Personal Statement for College

College Counseling

Jul 18

Written By Lynne Fuller

By Lynne Fuller, Founder of College Flight Path

This article was written directly to students with the intention of offering specific actionable steps they can take in spring to help leverage their writing process this spring and summer. The goal is to remain organized, think about what is important to them, and authentically share who they are through their story. Many articles talk about gimmicks and how to stand out, but if you craft a story that is filled with meaning on what students have come to understand and a roadmap of how they think, it all comes across as valuable introspection and willingness to adopt a growth mindset. When we learn from what has challenged us, in whatever form that takes, the personal statement is an incredible tool that is likely the first attempt for a student to share their elevator pitch about their lives.

Dear Students,

Writing a strong personal statement for college admissions is your chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase unique experiences, aspirations, and personality; an opportunity to show your best qualities and characteristics. As college counselors, we have reviewed thousands of personal statements and understand the importance of crafting a compelling narrative. To help you excel in this crucial aspect of the college application process, we wanted to share some of our favorite tips to help you elicit your best draft.

How to Write a Personal Statement for College

1. Start Early and Allow Time for Reflection

Writing a personal statement takes time and introspection. Start by brainstorming ideas in spring and use that final junior writing assignment often centered around writing the personal statement to attempt a first draft. Thereafter, reflect in late June on the topic and other sample essays to determine if this is the right topic for you which will also give you ample time to reflect on your experiences, goals, and values and see if it aligns with the story you want to tell. Starting in spring it allows for multiple drafts and revisions to refine your ideas and ensure a polished final product. It will take months of revisiting your writing or even writing multiple drafts to approach your essay from a variety of angles.

2. Be Authentic and Genuine

The personal statement should be a reflection of your true self. Avoid trying to impress admissions committees with what you think they want to hear. Instead, be honest and genuine in sharing your unique story and perspectives. Admissions officers value authenticity and are keen on getting to know the real you through your warmth, vulnerability, and anecdotes. Admissions is interested in reading about how your brain unpacks your world and processes what you have experienced, learned, and are curious about.

3. Tell a Captivating Story

Craft your personal statement as a narrative that engages the reader from the opening line (that’s why it is called a hook…you want to hook your reader straight away). Focus on a specific experience, challenge, or moment that has had a significant impact on your personal growth. Use vivid descriptions, dialogue, and storytelling techniques to bring your story to life and make it memorable. This does not have to be a gimmick, but something fun that takes your reader on a journey into your world.

EX: I keep a trade secret. I shouldn’t tell you, but the key to perfect pizza sauce is crushed fresh ripe tomatoes mixed in a bath of Violet Pizza sauce. Five generations of Vittorelli’s have perfected their famous pizza in the Northeast section of Philadelphia and still serve as a mainstay of the Torresdale section of town. Lines form every Friday and Saturday night outside of their shop in Morrell Plaza as customers patiently wait for their pizza to be constructed.

4. Show, Don't Just Tell

Instead of simply listing your achievements and qualities, illustrate them through specific examples and anecdotes. Paint a vivid picture of your experiences and their impact on your life. Showcasing your growth, resilience, and determination through storytelling makes your personal statement more compelling and memorable.

EX: During my first few weeks it was hard to identify my role in a large, loud, dysfunctional family unit that occupies the tight quarters of the pizzeria. In juxtaposition to the chaos, I have always seen myself as a leader and somewhat of a control freak. Hoping to offer some organization to the pizza pick-up process, I knew I could improve on the pandemonium of Don’s dad’s approach. I was in charge of selling, organizing, and cutting pizzas, and soon realized that they were never stacked by order number or time. It was a common occurrence that someone would order a plain pizza and would walk away with one covered in sardines. Needless to say, it was a problem. I came up with a new method of stacking the pizzas according to order and marking them with symbols to indicate their type. Immediately, our efficiency and accuracy in order fulfillment were restored, so much so that Don secretly increased my pay.

5. Connect Your Story to Your Future Goals

While recounting your experiences, make sure to draw connections to your future college and career goals and aspirations. Admissions officers want to see how your past experiences have shaped your ambitions and how you plan to contribute to the college community and beyond. Demonstrate your passion, drive, and vision for the future. It is also helpful to note how you have grown as a result of these experiences.

EX: Working at Charlie’s is like working alongside an extended family. Despite coming from an Irish Catholic background, I see Don, Steve, and Marty as my older Italian brothers. Similarly, my extended family enjoys slow cooked dinners with way too much food, debates over sports teams, and who is taking which side in the latest family saga. Growing up in Northeast Philadelphia, we all come from the same fabric, one that was built on hard work and a deep faith. Our traditions are shared. We watch the Mummers on New Year’s Day, cheer for the Eagles, and root for our younger cousins at CYO football games. Perhaps the true secret in the sauce is our shared family values, lifelong friendships, and the will to help one another, something perfected by the tiny corner of the world occupied by Charlie’s and its employees.

6. Be Concise and Well-Organized

Admissions officers read hundreds if not thousands of personal statements, so it's important to keep yours concise and well-structured. Stay within the prescribed word count (Common and Coalition Apps 650, UC Personal Insight Questions 350 each) to ensure that your essay flows logically. Use paragraphs, transitions, and headings to make your essay easy to follow and understand. Be sure that the paragraphs are concise and circle back to the story

7. Pay Attention to Voice and Tone

Develop a strong and consistent voice in your personal statement. Use language that reflects your personality and communicates your ideas effectively. Avoid clichés and overly formal language. After all, they know that a high school student is writing an essay, so don’t be afraid to infuse your personal statement with your authentic voice. It is also important to note that admissions officers know when an essay has been “altered” by both AI and adults, so beware.

8. Seek Feedback and Revise

After writing your first draft, seek feedback from trusted teachers, counselors, friends, family members, or mentors. They can provide valuable insights, spot holes in your story, areas to explore further, and help you refine your message. Be open to constructive criticism and use it to make your personal statement stronger, however, be careful to maintain your voice and not that of the adult reading it. Feedback is in comments, not in red lines with edits to be made.

9. Edit and Proofread

Carefully edit and proofread your personal statement for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Typos can detract from your overall message, so take the time to polish your essay. It is also important to avoid the use of contractions that sound slangy — think I’ve, I’d, I’ll, gonna, gotta, wanna — instead use refined language that would be used in an interview for a job while making the way you speak your own. Read it aloud or have someone else read it to catch any mistakes or awkward phrasing. I will stress this once more… read your essay aloud to catch grammatical errors, they are often “heard” but not read on a screen with the same accuracy.

10. Be Mindful of the Word Limit

Adhere to the specified word limit for your personal statement. You are limited on the common application at 650 words, but there are other application types that may allow for a more open ended essay, keep it to 600-650 words.

Crafting a compelling personal statement is a significant undertaking, but by following these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating an essay that grabs the attention of admissions officers and showcases your unique qualities.

Remember, your personal statement is your chance to let your voice be heard, so embrace the opportunity and let your story shine. Of course, if you want a neutral third party to help you explore your background and history, ask good questions, and think about how to weave your story together, we are here to help guide you on the path to discovering your topic and identifying your unique personal narrative.

To learn more about tips for crafting a great personal statement or any other related topics, email hello@collegeflightpath.com or book a free 15-minute call.

To get hands on help wherever you are in the process, join our flight log.

Lynne Fuller https://www.collegeflightpath.com